DOUG SAUNDERS Where the Successful Author Sees

The magazine on the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan region

LOCATION Why Hessen is so successful INNOVATIONS How FinTechs are changing the financial centre LOCATION What Frankfurt comes top in THOMAS DEININGER

Why the head-hunter recommends FRM DOUG SAUNDERS Where the successful author sees

“Arrival Cities” in FRM PERSPECTIVE Which digital services Frankfurt Airport will offer in future

Issue 2016 > English Places to go Edition The hippest locations in FrankfurtRhineMain Lock into the network, shape the future

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Wirtschaftsinitiative, the Business Initiative, brings together the key minds and entrepreneurs in the region who want to keep FrankfurtRhineMain firmly moving. Our members are at home in the metropolitan region in a dual sense. They champion their region. And they all share the conviction that only a metropolitan business region which acts together offers the best future prospects for both the people and corporations.

The Business Initiative – Entrepreneurs for FrankfurtRhineMain. A commitment that pays off for you!

www.die-wirtschaftsinitiative.de // Editorial

FRANKFURT TURNS KEY FACTORS ARRIVING INTO A SENSE TAKE THE OF BELONGING LIMELIGHT

Arrival City Frankfurt: Frankfurt is almost Do you know Doug Saunders? The British- unparalleled in Germany in its function as an Canadian journalist travelled to growing me- “arrival city”. In other words, it is predestined tropolises the world over and studied how ‘new to be a city not only where many people arrive, because it has the arrivals’ fare in them. In his book “Arrival City” he presents the right infrastructure in the form of the airport, the main railroad intriguing hypothesis that integration is successful above all in station and the autobahn connections. It is able to fulfil such a the marginal districts of the big cities. He suggests we must pay role so well because it is not a cul-de-sac where you get stuck – more attention to these fascinating, busy, improvised places, after the friendly welcome here things progress. I like to tell populated by people with great intentions. He has identified guests that it does not matter where they come from as here they various such places in FrankfurtRhineMain and believes the will always find someone who knows how to cook their national region is mainly doing very well. One of his other daring claims dishes. In actual fact, the countless islands of different cultures is that “a good interview only takes 15 minutes. After that only that you find here round every corner are the launchpad and rarely does anything meaningful get said.” Nevertheless, he entrance portal into civic society. talked to FRM for almost an hour, and it was certainly worth- while (turn to p. 34). As long as these portals remain open no parallel societies arise in which people feel stranded, cut off and thus turn their backs As CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH I often talk to representa- nostalgically or belligerently on the city and its inhabitants – or tives of foreign companies and notice how the view of our region even turn against them. The portals bear signs such as language is changing. Of course initially hard facts are at the forefront lessons, education, inclusion and job opportunities. Here, above of marketing FrankfurtRhineMain: costs, accessibility, and so all Frankfurt’s business structure fosters integration, turns forth. But nowadays soft factors come into play more quickly arriving into a sense of belonging. A diversified, prosperous than before. Can employees enjoy living here? Will families find business world creates opportunities in a large array of different homes? Are there the right education and training facilities professions, including ones in which you do not need academic for young people? And what about culture and leisure-time qualifications to get a job. A diverse range of education facilities pursuits? I don’t want to give too much away but in this regard offers newcomers a path into the comfort zones of the post-in- FrankfurtRhineMain can offer many an international highlight dustrial world of work. At the same time, they offer locals a (turn to p. 26). constant and vibrant human resource base, where people with new qualifications, fresh ideas, can enjoy slaking their thirst for Not least, FrankfurtRhineMain is repeatedly catching the eye as training, can for themselves find out what it is like to live as free a creative hub. At present the financial industry is experiencing citizens, possibly for the first time without the constraints of an this, as an increasing number of young start-ups are developing authoritarian society. new financial technologies that are changing the face of traditional banking. The region’s outstanding know-how in both All of them together form the well and the engine of the successful segments, finance and technology, means it has a good chance of model that is Frankfurt. To keep this font bubbling healthily is emerging as not only a German but probably an international the joint task of politicians, businesspeople and civic society as a “fintech” hub (turn to p. 14). Wishing you much enjoyment read- whole, if we wish to keep our city lively and prosperous. ing this issue of FRM.

Peter Feldmann Eric Menges Mayor of Frankfurt/Main CEO of FRM GmbH

PARTNERS OF THIS GOld Silber ISSUE OF FRM

Bronze UNTERSTÜTZER // Contents

// Location // Innovations To good working relationships: Working on business development: (left to right) Holger Schach (CEO of Regionalmanagement NordHessen GmbH), Jens Ihle (CEO of Regionalmanagement Mittelhessen GmbH), Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt (CEO of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH and HA Hessen Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH Agentur GmbH) and Eric Menges (CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain advises foreign companies that wish GmbH International Marketing of the Region). to settle in Hessen, relocate their operations or expand their businesses here. It is a point of contact for investors at state level, offering advice on funding and financing programmes, putting together customised pro These logistics facilities can be found, for instance, in north posals in close collab oration with Hessen, which according to Holger Schach, CEO of Regional- regional and local players, organising management NordHessen GmbH, has in recent years not only location viewings and assisting with evolved into a key logistics and distribution hub in Germany, but approval procedures. THE FINTECH with future technologies in the areas of mobility, renewable energy htai.de invest-in-hessen.de Tilman Lochmüller/lochmüller.MEDIA Tilman and healthcare is also becoming increasingly interesting for international companies. REVOLUTION Hessen is becoming an increasingly attractive prop- Central Hessen as a business and university location also benefits THIRD osition for foreign companies: Last year, Hessen’s from its proximity to the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan area, >business development agencies saw 156 companies through the according to Jens Ihle, CEO of Regionalmanagement Mittelhessen process of locating to Hessen for the first time or expanding their GmbH. Moreover, the distance from central Hessen to Frankfurt RECORD existing operations, the majority of them in the FrankfurtRhine- Airport is shorter than the distances within several major interna- An upheaval is underway in the FrankfurtRhineMain financial hub. Main region – the third record year in a row, after 144 companies in tional cities. An increasing number of start-ups are developing new financial 2014 and 119 in 2013. “The operations range from small sales offices We have no influence to factory extensions,” reports Hessen’s Minister of Economics In addition to the cooperation between the players in Hessen, the technologies – and in this way changing traditional banking busi- YEAR IN over our geographical Tarek Al-Wazir. “All in all we are talking about considerable invest- intensive collaboration between Hessen Trade & Invest and ness. A glance at the lofts where the ideas are seeing the light of day ments and about jobs that will be created in the coming years.” Germany Trade & Invest GmbH in Berlin is of central importance. setting, but we need to The federal business development agency acquires investment A ROW TIM KANNING (TEXT) AND JONAS RATERMANN (PHOTOS) The fact that companies are expanding existing operations is a projects for Germany worldwide and then hands them over to the develop the other factors particularly good indication that the investors in question rate the state business development agencies. in a balanced and sus region highly and are planning for the long term, as the Minister tainable way Tarek Al-Wazir explains: “Our big plus point is the combination of a central location, a In 2015 most investments in Hessen came from 37 companies // Hessen’s Minister of good transport infrastructure, outstanding universities and research based in the United States, followed by China with 36, the UK with Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional Anyone visiting the FinTech Group in Frankfurt’s Westhafen institutes, excellent, well-qualified personnel, a high quality of life 15 and Japan and South Korea with 9 each. Then came France, Development will immediately and a practiced international outlook. We have no influence over our Switzerland and Turkey with 5 companies each. This means that the guess what it’s all about. From the lobby you can look through a large glass wall geographical setting, but we need to develop the other factors in United States and China are the most important sources of direct into the company’s IT centre. The blinking machines with the myriad of cables a balanced and sustainable way in order for Hessen to remain an investment from abroad in Hessen. handle the data of the companies in the FinTech Group. Security purchases and Kelkheim Frankfurt internationally sought-after location in Germany and Europe.” sales, which are transacted by Flatex. For a lump sum, the subsidiary rendered Wiesbaden Offenbach A study by Hessen Trade & Invest and TNS Emnid from March 2016 stock-exchange trading considerably cheaper for private investors a few years ago. Darmstadt Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt, CEO of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH, shows that nine out of ten investors already located in Hessen clear- Since then, the FinTech Group has evolved around the online broker and its clients Hessen’s business development company, stresses: “In 2015 the ly favour Hessen over other locations in Germany. 95 percent can also invest capital there and take up loans. Cheaply, of course, and requiring record number of international relocations and expansion projects viewed their economic situations positively and 67 percent indi- only a few clicks on the same online platform. Outstanding collaboration with was the result not only of the location’s exceptional conditions, cated that they wanted to recruit more German staff over the com- Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) Hessen’s business development but also of outstanding collaboration between Hessen’s business ing years. Frank Niehage, CEO of the publicly-listed group, prefers to take visitors straight agencies has meant that Hessen development agencies at all levels.” For Eric Menges too, CEO of into the large room with the stylish furniture and the broad windows looking out FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region, The companies setting up shop in Hessen range from the Chinese over the Main River – which he calls the “Soho-Club”. This is what many of the Trade & Invest GmbH has once close collaboration is essential for the region: “In this way we can plastics giant Kingfa SCI. & TECH. Co., Ltd., whose German sub- offices look like in the start-ups that have for some years now been taking the again been extremely successful forward those enquiries in an efficient and centrally coordinated sidiary is set to begin production of special plastics in summer 2016 traditional financial industry by storm. The hip newcomers prefer the leisurely manner for which we cannot find suitable offerings in the Frank- at the Kalle-Albert industrial estate in Wiesbaden, to the Confed- style of Google and Apple rather than the cool elegance of a Deutsche Bank. Indus- FinTech hub in convincing international FrankfurtRhineMain wants furtRhineMain region. This can be the case with large logistics eration of Indian Industry (CII), India’s largest industry association, Impressive results: trial lofts, table football and hoodies are more important than high-rises, com- to evolve into a centre for companies to locate to Hessen. facilities, for example.” which has opened its German branch in Frankfurt/Main. \\ The 2015 investor survey pany cars and bespoke suits. new financial technologies

6 7 FRM 01 I 16 14 15 FRM 01 I 16 06 E_FRM_16-01_06-07_Standort.indd 6-7 11.05.2016 15:05:33 14 E_FRM_16-01_14-23_FINTECH.indd 14-15 11.05.2016 14:54:31 LOCATION > INNOVATIONS > RECORD IN HESSEN THE FINTECH REVOLUTION Why more and more companies are relocating here How start-ups are changing the financial centre FRM

// Interview // Scene Doug Saunders The author of “Arrival City” is now in Frankfurt fairly regu- larly. He is advising Deutsches Architekturmuseum, which Frankfurt Offenbach is anchoring the German con- Wiesbaden Aschaffenburg tribution to the International PlaCes Architecture Biennale 2016 in Venice British-Canadian author Doug Saunders has visited growing metropolises all over the world, where he studied how “arrival” functions. His book “Arrival City” is now to go considered a standard reference work on the future of cities. FRM caught up with him in Frankfurt

INTERVIEW BY HELEN SIBUM The day fades – and the question arises: What’s the best way to start the night? In a bar, a club or somewhere a little different? 30 special locations in FrankfurtRhineMain 10 Axel Jung

FrankFurt scene, and on the last Sunday of oFFenbaCh each month Gabriel Groh and the 1 Batschkapp So what is the entertainer Bäppi La Belle tradi- 8 Robert Johnson This Offenbach

Jonas Ratermann “Kapp”? A cultural center, rock club tionally feature as guests here with club is one of Germany’s best spots These places often have a poor reputation. If I understand your and concert hall. Named “Club of their revue “Pik Sonntag”. A real for electronic dance music. You

theory correctly, you are saying that arrival cities won’t change Stratmann/www.photx.de Ernst the Year” in 2012. A Frankfurt insti- experience. can party inside or step out onto Mr. Saunders, is Frankfurt an “arrival city”? and don’t have to. But the people who go through them do. tution which, despite its move to › Elbestr. 31, 60329 Frankfurt the balcony to see the River Main Seckbach three years ago, has re- flowing by. To the left it flows to Frankfurt contains arrival cities and always has. Yes, but you need to make sure they do go through them. There mained true to itself. Once Kapp, 5 Orange Peel Perhaps one of Frankfurt, whilst to the right the >The arrival city is the district within the city that comprises the are traps that can cause second and third generations to fall out. always Kapp. This year it celebrates the coolest insider tips. Behind an Offenbach harbour sleeps. But networks of newcomers who support each other and build their You have to make sure that the resources are there for people. its 40th anniversary. Respect! elegant, late-19th-century façade in there’s plenty of space for music in › batschkapp.de the station district hides a club that between them. own internal economy. The arrival city is linked to the larger city, This doesn’t mean having a huge welfare system; it means look- offers something to suit (virtually) › robert-johnson.de but it is also a place unto itself. Frankfurt and the RhineMain ing for the barriers and eliminating them in advance. 2 Yachtklub Club-founding legend any musical taste: Here you will Hans Romanov is back with his find classic jazz, rockabilly, funk, asChaFFenburg region in general are places that have long known the processes boathouse. Alongside parties, Russian disco, rock ‘n’ roll and even of arrival. Historically, a lot of the people who settled here were You are saying that Frankfurt has good preconditions for inte- there is live music, art, culture, cool world music. A warm welcome 9 Colos-Saal A truly distin- refugees, even if they weren’t called that. The people who built grating newcomers – what are they? drinks and little treats to nibble on. awaits. guished club in the heart of the pe- Plans for the summer include the › orange-peel.de destrian zone of this Franconian the classic economy of this region, people of every European Well, it has some of them. What do people seek when they settle “Elbe river lido”, a throwback to the city: in 2013 it was named “Club background and identity, were very often fleeing conflict or reli- somewhere? They need to be able to get housing, on a sustainable lidos that used to line the Main. 6 Le Panther Frankfurt’s party of the Year” as part of the Frankfurt gious persecution. To look at Frankfurt with its history of refu- basis and usually at a lower cost than the average. They need to Great prospects. villa is changing: After 20 years, the Music Fair Live Entertainment › yachtklub.org Odeon is becoming “Le Panther”. Award LEA, whilst in 2015 it won gees and migrants who became part of the economic system, of get connected to the education system. They need to be able to Alongside parties, art events are the Culture Prize for the City of the fabric of the city – I think that’s important. find work, to form small businesses and have customers come to 3 Gibson Just where you wouldn’t also planned, and on Sundays Aschaffenburg. Understatement them. And they need to have some pathway to citizenship. A lot expect it, in the premises of the for- there is even a brunch. Truly a place simply doesn’t apply here. Nomen mer Zeilkino cinema, Kingka founder to celebrate life. est omen. You say that Frankfurt’s Gallus district for example is a typical of those factors are present here. Madjid Djamegari joined forces with › Seilerstr. 34, 60313 Frankfurt › colos-saal.de “arrival quarter”. What makes it similar to the places you visited Xavier Naidoo and the band “Söhne 7 AdLib Three floors and a great Wiesbaden all around the world, to the parts of Mumbai, Nairobi or Rio de Housing in Frankfurt is expensive, though. Clubs Mannheims” in 2012 to set up a modern live club. An enormous dance roof terrace – this is what you’ll find WELCOME Janeiro that you classify as “arrival cities”? Yes, but still people can find places to live. There are institutions floor beneath the city and a firm fa- at the location above the Hanauer 10 Chopan For some, Chopan is a Gallus has been a place where newcomers settle for decades. A lot to help them get started – Frankfurt has a surprisingly robust The clubs in the FrankfurtRhine- vorite in the nightlife of Frankfurt. Landstrasse. Party series are held tea lounge, bar and restaurant – as › gibson-club.de here bearing names like “Black per its official designation – whilst of the more successful institutions that bring people together can range of immigrant assistance institutions. Also, it’s not too dif- TO THE Main area offer something to Sushi”, “We love 90s” and “Mission for others it is the only “scene” be found there. Gallus was not built to be a place for newcomers ficult to find your way into the school system, though I would say suit every musical taste. You just 4 Pik Dame This old neighborhood to Heaven”. It all goes down well with club in Wiesbaden. The pearl of the – arrival cities rarely are. But it tends to be the places that have there are real problems with the education system in its ability to bar hosts guest sets by big-name a chic, grown-up clientele, who West End. Go check it out. You ARRIVAL CITY need to find them DJs and perhaps the hottest, most dance “ad lib” – hence the club’s won’t regret it! the lowest living costs which attract people. Beside Gallus, make newcomers stay in it. Employment and entrepreneurial intimate parties on the Frankfurt name. › Bleichstr. 34, 65183 Wiesbaden there’s a whole patchwork of districts or smaller subareas that options are complicated as well. There are some entry points, but › adlib-ffm.de have become migrant settlement areas in Frankfurt. starting small businesses is not as easy as it could be. 4

34 35 FRM 01 I 16 38 39 FRM 01 I 16 34 E_FRM_16-01_34-37_InterviewSaunders.indd 34-35 10.05.2016 18:59:16 38 E_FRM_16-01_38-43_PlacesToGo_2.indd 38-39 10.05.2016 18:58:47 INTERVIEW > SCENE > “ARRIVAL CITIES” IN FRM PLACES TO GO How Doug Saunders sees FrankfurtRhineMain Things to see and do in the evening and at night

03 Editorial 04 Contents, Imprint 06 Location LIMBURG > Why more and more companies are relocating here 08 Interview > What a leading HR consultant thinks of FRM BAD HOMBURG

12 Location FRANKFURT HANAU > What Frankfurt comes top in WIESBADEN 14 Innovations OFFENBACH > How FinTechs are changing the face ASCHAFFENBURG of the financial centre MAINZ 24 Discoveries DARMSTADT > What the region offers in summer 26 Lifestyle > Where shopping is most fun HEPPENHEIM 34 Interview > What Doug Saunders thinks of FRM 38 Scene > Things to see and do in the evening and at night 48 Perspective > The new services the airport intends to offer

IMPRint Publisher FRM – The magazine on the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan Editorial Office Editor-in-Chief: Peter Hintereder, Martin Orth (Managing Editor) region is published by FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the tel. +49 69 75 01 43 52, fax +49 69 75 01 43 61 Region in cooperation with Societäts-Medien, Frankfurt/Main. For Frankfurt Art Direction Stefanie Schwary RheinMain GmbH: Eric Menges, CEO Production Kerim Demir Publishing house Frankfurter Societäts-Medien GmbH, tel. +49 69 75 010, Distribution Klaus Hofmann, Tel. (069) 75 01-42 74, Fax (069) 75 01-45 02 Managing Director: Oliver Rohloff Notes Articles by named contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Address of publisher and Editorial Office Frankenallee 71–81, 60327 Frankfurt/ the editorial desk. Reprints only with the publisher’s authorisation. Printed in Germany, Main. This is also the service address for all responsible parties and authorised Copyright © by Frankfurter Societäts-Medien GmbH 2016. The magazine’s paper is persons mentioned in the imprint. eco-friendly. It has been produced with chlorine-free bleached pulp. Cover illustration Zoonar/Michta

4 5 FRM 01 I 16

// Location Tilman Lochmüller/lochmüller.MEDIA Tilman

Hessen is becoming an increasingly attractive prop- THIRD osition for foreign companies: Last year, Hessen’s >business development agencies saw 156 companies through the process of locating to Hessen for the first time or expanding their RECORD existing operations, the majority of them in the FrankfurtRhine- Main region – the third record year in a row, after 144 companies in 2014 and 119 in 2013. “The operations range from small sales offices YEAR IN to factory extensions,” reports Hessen’s Minister of Economics Tarek Al-Wazir. “All in all we are talking about considerable invest- A ROW ments and about jobs that will be created in the coming years.” The fact that companies are expanding existing operations is a particularly good indication that the investors in question rate the region highly and are planning for the long term, as the Minister explains: “Our big plus point is the combination of a central location, a good transport infrastructure, outstanding universities and research institutes, excellent, well-qualified personnel, a high quality of life and a practiced international outlook. We have no influence over our geographical setting, but we need to develop the other factors in a balanced and sustainable way in order for Hessen to remain an internationally sought-after location in Germany and Europe.”

Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt, CEO of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH, Hessen’s business development company, stresses: “In 2015 the record number of international relocations and expansion projects Outstanding collaboration with was the result not only of the location’s exceptional conditions, Hessen’s business development but also of outstanding collaboration between Hessen’s business agencies has meant that Hessen development agencies at all levels.” For Eric Menges too, CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH International Marketing of the Region, Trade & Invest GmbH has once close collaboration is essential for the region: “In this way we can again been extremely successful forward those enquiries in an efficient and centrally coordinated in convincing international manner for which we cannot find suitable offerings in the Frank- furtRhineMain region. This can be the case with large logistics companies to locate to Hessen. facilities, for example.”

6 7 FRM 01 I 16 To good working relationships: Working on business development: (left to right) Holger Schach (CEO of Regionalmanagement NordHessen GmbH), Jens Ihle (CEO of Regionalmanagement Mittelhessen GmbH), Dr. Rainer Waldschmidt (CEO of Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH and HA Hessen Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH Agentur GmbH) and Eric Menges (CEO of FrankfurtRheinMain advises foreign companies that wish GmbH International Marketing of the Region). to settle in Hessen, relocate their operations or expand their businesses here. It is a point of contact for investors at state level, offering advice on funding and financing programmes, putting together customised pro These logistics facilities can be found, for instance, in north posals in close collaboration with Hessen, which according to Holger Schach, CEO of Regional regional and local players, organising management NordHessen GmbH, has in recent years not only location viewings and assisting with evolved into a key logistics and distribution hub in Germany, but approval procedures. with future technologies in the areas of mobility, renewable energy htai.de and healthcare is also becoming increasingly interesting for inter- invest-in-hessen.de national companies.

Central Hessen as a business and university location also benefits from its proximity to the FrankfurtRhineMain metropolitan area, according to Jens Ihle, CEO of Regionalmanagement Mittelhessen GmbH. Moreover, the distance from central Hessen to Frankfurt Airport is shorter than the distances within several major international cities. We have no influence In addition to the cooperation between the players in Hessen, the intensive collaboration between Hessen Trade & Invest and over our geographical Germany Trade & Invest GmbH in Berlin is of central importance. setting, but we need to The federal business development agency acquires investment projects for Germany worldwide and then hands them over to the develop the other factors state business development agencies. in a balanced and sus tainable way Tarek Al-Wazir In 2015 most investments in Hessen came from 37 companies // Hessen’s Minister of based in the United States, followed by China with 36, the UK with Economics, Energy, Transport and Regional 15 and Japan and South Korea with 9 each. Then came France, Development Switzerland and Turkey with 5 companies each. This means that the United States and China are the most important sources of direct investment from abroad in Hessen.

A study by Hessen Trade & Invest and TNS Emnid from March 2016 shows that nine out of ten investors already located in Hessen clearly favour Hessen over other locations in Germany. 95 percent viewed their economic situations positively and 67 percent indi- cated that they wanted to recruit more German staff over the com- Hessen Trade & Invest GmbH (HTAI) ing years.

The companies setting up shop in Hessen range from the Chinese plastics giant Kingfa SCI. & TECH. Co., Ltd., whose German subsidiary is set to begin production of special plastics in summer 2016 at the Kalle-Albert industrial estate in Wiesbaden, to the Confed- eration of Indian Industry (CII), India’s largest industry association, Impressive results: which has opened its German branch in Frankfurt/Main. \\ The 2015 investor survey // Interview

AN EXCEPTIONAL METROPOLIS

Thomas Deininger, one of Germany’s leading recruitment consultants, fills top positions in industry and finance. An interview about the magnet that is FrankfurtRhineMain

INTERVIEW: MARTIN ORTH

Your Frankfurt-based DEININGER CONSULTING is And what about Berlin, Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany’s top 10 executive search consult Stuttgart and Leipzig/Dresden? >ancies. How attractive is FrankfurtRhineMain for managers? Berlin, with its many possibilities as the capital and a cultural FrankfurtRhineMain is a remarkably appealing location for high centre, is also very attractive. But it still lacks the necessary potentials and managers and, of course, for us, too, if we want to industrial infrastructure. Currently, there appear to be only engage in dialogue with clients from all sectors, both nationally limited prospects of industry becoming established there. By and internationally. Once upon a time, people had reservations contrast there are a large number of employers in the fields of about Frankfurt, but that is long since history. The city is one of public administration, federations and foundations. In recent the most magnetic in Germany in terms of quality of life, culture, years Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia have gained an nature and logistics. It is an international hub with an impressive enormous amount of ground and some eyes have turned to Stutt- airport. Particularly over the past 20 years FrankfurtRhineMain gart for industrial SMEs, the car and component supplier indus- has developed into an exceptional metropolitan region with a tries when looking for a new position. The reputable financial strongly international flair. This is something of which we can be services providers should not be forgotten either. Neither should proud. Dresden and the region around Leipzig be disregarded. Both these cities will see positive developments over the next 20 years. What are the locations that FrankfurtRhineMain is competing with? To what extent are the candidates you come into contact with Of course, FrankfurtRhineMain is not alone in Germany; just prepared to move? look at Munich. But we do have one particular advantage over Independent of family ties to a particular region, their willing- Munich – the cost of living. The rents and real estate prices there ness to move remains consistently high provided that we are have climbed well beyond the realms of the reasonable. Those of talking about attractive and feasible challenges in a serious envi- our candidates who opt for Munich are forced to demand higher ronment that promises no unforeseen negative surprises. From salaries for transferring there in order to make up for the addi- time to time, offers are rejected at an early stage if the candidates tional costs they will be incurring. Of course, Munich also has have not been in their current jobs for long enough or family ties excellent plus points. But the financial burden of living there argue against a change of region. Generally speaking commuting should not be underestimated. is not desirable, especially for people in top positions. It is often

8 9 FRM 01 I 16 Jonas Ratermann key executive searches international for weeks afew only needs partners the by managed still and WestendGate Frankfurt’s in the HR consultancy headquartered DEININGER CONSULTING. Today, founding boss, own his became engineer graduate the 1981, In Thomas Deininger // Interview

Germany. However, in 1983 I should move abroad, which would have been tantamount to a new beginning. And so in 1981 I set up Deininger Unternehmensberatung GmbH in the same location, in the Marriott building in Frankfurt, which nowadays goes by the name of WestendGate. The existing sophisticated client base with companies and banks made this easy for me.

In what sectors are you mainly active? The company focuses 60 percent on industry and 40 percent on financial service providers with a sophisticated range of successful Jonas Ratermann (2) banks and insurance companies. In our sector, it is important for the individual teams of consultants to be duly specialised. Our business is based on recommendations – 14 years ago an oppor- not only the case that family life suffers; at the same time, the tunity arose for us to expand our business abroad, with our first company is not adequately championed at its representative assignments in China. offices. Nowadays your company boasts 135 employees and 27 teams You originally came from industry. How did you become a of consultants at 15 locations all over the world. How interna- recruitment consultant? tional is your business now? After seven years of professional experience in industry, working Our clients’ investment patterns simply make it necessary for us in the technology sector and, more particularly, in production, I to undertake high-grade executive searches at other interna- needed to broaden my knowledge base in the field of human tional locations as well. And this has now inspired us to establish resources to include such elements as “evaluating personality”, a large number of our own branches internationally: two offices “recruitment”, “wage determination” and even employee par- in China, three in India, and one in Singapore. We operate in east ticipation in decision-making. An ambitious engineer cannot Europe from Warsaw. Admittedly, other recruitment players are make use of any specialist HR knowledge he might acquire still ahead of us but we are getting there in terms of international without real professional experience. The PA Consulting Group in expansion and our teams in the relevant locations boast London offered me the opportunity to get a foothold in the world outstanding qualifications. These collaborate extremely closely of recruitment consultancy by training in the UK. I subsequently and on a permanent basis with our research centre in Germany, worked at the group’s German HQ in Frankfurt. At the time the with its staff of 40 employees. Executive searches outside main vehicle for recruitment consultants was job ads in the large Germany for our German clients is proceeding in leaps and dailies. However, the “yield” from this method was dwindling. bounds. This means that we need to continue to invest in places So, in order to find a reasonable number of candidates, even back such as the United States, the UK and east Europe, where our in 1978, the focus of my activities was increasingly on opting for focus is on Poland and Russia. Other countries are bound to direct searches. This “search technology” was a real challenge follow if we want to continue to look after our clients success- because at the time in Germany there were major restrictions on fully in the long term. One current example is Iran, where we are approaching people directly. Later, it proved possible to convince already getting started. the legislators of the fact that brief initial contact with potential candidates at their workplaces was the way to go and the really Your company has its 35th anniversary in 2016. Can you sum- intensive interviews about the position to be filled were moved marise its history in figures? to the candidate’s free time or evenings. This amounted to a jus- In the 35 years that we have been in existence excellent progress tification for direct search, which is sometimes also called an has been made in terms of the professionalism of our consultant executive search. The PA Consulting Group then offered me the teams and the infrastructure for research and Web research, opportunity to manage its business at the direct search centre in with our affiliate Eurosearch Consultants GmbH for the Internet-

10 11 FRM 01 I 16 Frankfurt is one of the most attractive places in Germany in terms of quality of life, culture, nature and transport logistics //

based recruitment business. Our database comprises more than 530,000 candidates in 51 countries and we can very rapidly offer our clients in the major industrialised countries an excellent range of candidates. The same applies to the kind of people who are potentially looking for a change. With our holistic approach each year we fill more than 500 national and international positions.

And what was your biggest coup? There are search projects with a very idiosyncratic background history and way of developing. A number of years ago we were looking for somebody to fill a top position at Frankfurt Airport’s on-ground logistics operations. The range of possible candidates was great and our research prompted us to put somebody forward who used to work for the German Air Force. His career had progressed very well and he boasted an impressive personality structure. The decision-makers had initially thought about a candidate with an industrial background and were accordingly surprised by our suggestion. However, at the final meeting they became increasingly convinced that this gentleman might, for many reasons, be an excellent choice for the position after all. After tough negotiations on both sides our candidate was later even appointed to the management board, after exceeding everybody’s expectations. This kind of unconventional appointment can also run in a positive and successful direction.

DEININGER CONSULTING Finally, a personal question: How would you describe your Around 5,500 consultants everyday working life? work in Germany for some 2,000 management consul- The way we work makes great demands on personality and family. tancies. With a staff of 135 I have just got back from an early appointment in the Sauerland and 27 teams of consultants region and will be flying off to a foreign country directly after this at 15 locations worldwide, Deininger Consulting is one of interview. In our job you can’t ever just take things easy. No, in the leading German recruit- our field we need to demonstrate great flexibility and an increas- ment consultancies. Today, ingly international mind-set, we need to be ready to head out at amongst other things, Thomas Deininger fills top positions in the drop of a hat. Our company in particular does not delegate the executive suites of projects to consultant teams abroad. Instead we collaborate with Frankfurt’s high-rises. deininger.de the teams in our offices outside Germany. We cannot just restrict ourselves to Germany. \\ // Location FRANKFURT IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Frankfurt is the

European city with the Frankfurt boasts the greatest investment poten- greatest investment tial in Europe. This emerged in the most recent fDi >Magazine study, which is conducted by experts every two years. potential according to a Frankfurt came top of the 291 European cities surveyed in the pan-European survey category “Large Cities”, cities with a core population of more of 291 cities. than 500,000 and urban agglomerations with a population of more than one million, placing fourth overall. fDi Magazine is a periodical published by Financial Times Intelligence, a subsidiary of the famous London-based financial publishing group, which charts direct investment projects worldwide and across national borders and evaluates the relevant information.

Mayor Peter Feldmann is delighted with this distinction and explains why Frankfurt performs so well: “The potential is obvious. Frankfurt becomes more attractive with every construction project and every new resident. We are in the middle of a veritable boom. Investors are vying with one another for the various pro-

12 13 FRM 01 I 16 Frankfurt becomes more attractive with every construction project and every new resident Peter Feldmann // Mayor of Frankfurt am Main Regionalverband FrankfurtRheinMain Regionalverband

jects. And of course we know why. Frankfurt is a safe bet and in times like these we offer minimum-risk investment opportunities. Growth here is steady and constant. On top of this we boast the perfect mixture of internationalism, networking and short distances. Very few cities in Europe can match this.”

The award was presented in March 2016 at MIPIM, the most im- fDi Intelligence (2) portant international real estate fair, in Cannes in the South of France. Deputy Mayor Olaf Cunitz and Head of the Department of Economic Affairs Markus Frank accepted the prize. “Competing with many attractive cities and regions, we need to work hard to be, and remain successful in these categories,” explained Cunitz. The metropolitan region of FrankfurtRhineMain had a shared stand at MIPIM. “21 partners presenting this strong business lo- The delighted winners: Deputy cation together with us in Cannes is outstanding proof of trust,” Mayor Olaf Cunitz and Head of the Department of Economic Frank said, commenting on the fact that this was the 21st time Affairs Markus Frank accept the Frankfurt had attended the fair. \\ fDi Award from Courtney Fingar // Innovations

THE FINTECH REVOLUTION

An upheaval is underway in the FrankfurtRhineMain financial hub. An increasing number of start-ups are developing new financial technologies – and in this way changing traditional banking business. A glance at the lofts where the ideas are seeing the light of day

TIM KANNING (TEXT) AND JONAS RATERMANN (PHOTOS)

Anyone visiting the FinTech Group in Frankfurt’s Westhafen will immediately guess what it’s all about. From the lobby you can look through a large glass wall into the company’s IT centre. The blinking machines with the myriad of cables handle the data of the companies in the FinTech Group. Security purchases and Kelkheim Frankfurt sales, which are transacted by Flatex. For a lump sum, the subsidiary rendered Wiesbaden Offenbach stock-exchange trading considerably cheaper for private investors a few years ago. Darmstadt Since then, the FinTech Group has evolved around the online broker and its clients can also invest capital there and take up loans. Cheaply, of course, and requiring only a few clicks on the same online platform.

Frank Niehage, CEO of the publicly-listed group, prefers to take visitors straight into the large room with the stylish furniture and the broad windows looking out over the Main River – which he calls the “Soho-Club”. This is what many of the offices look like in the start-ups that have for some years now been taking the traditional financial industry by storm. The hip newcomers prefer the leisurely style of Google and Apple rather than the cool elegance of a Deutsche Bank. Indus- trial lofts, table football and hoodies are more important than high-rises, company cars and bespoke suits.

14 15 FRM 01 I 16 FinTech hub FrankfurtRhineMain wants to evolve into a centre for new financial technologies // Innovations

The hip and brash new comers prefer the leisurely style of Google and Apple rather than the cool elegance of a Deutsche Bank //

The term FinTech combines the words finance and technology and covers a cor- respondingly broad spectrum of business ideas: The terrain extends from developing smartphone apps, facilitating banking and insurance transactions, through to companies that together with banks and exchanges experiment with new trading systems using the block-chain technology that came to fame with bitcoins. The consultants at Ernst & Young identified 56 FinTechs in FrankfurtRhineMain at the beginning of 2016. The figure is 250 for Germany as a whole, with the trend pointing sharply upward.

A start-up called Fastbill from Offenbach, for example, uses a software to sim- plify compiling and archiving invoices for small companies and freelancers – eve- rything gets processed digitally and can thus be transferred to the accountants directly. By means of practical graphics, companies can immediately discern how many receivables are still outstanding, which clients pay punctually and which tend not to. This even convinced TV actor “Tech-Nick”, aka Antoine Monot Jr., who plays the striking, bearded figure in the Saturn ads: He uses Fastbill for his invoices, as he recently confided during an interview.

Modern insurance brokers is how the founders of Clark see themselves; their offices are close to Frankfurt’s Konstablerwache. Clients can use the company’s programs to digitalise not only their insurance contracts, and for emergencies always have a mobile with them. Clark staff also monitor on the spot whether a client is perhaps doubly insured for one aspect and under-insured in another, and search for the best alternatives instead. And Community Life from Kelkheim wants to make things a lot simpler and more transparent for policyholders by completely digitalising insurances.

Vaamo hit the market running. Based in Frankfurt’s Gallus district the company ran radio commercials in which a woman’s voice thanks banks scornfully for fees that are far too high, products that are wrong, and opening hours that are useless. At Vaamo customers can invest without any of all that – simply by mobile app. Vaamo is the result of a typical FinTech story. The two founders Oliver Vins and Thomas Bloch started out as consultants at McKinsey and JP Morgan. They knew

16 17 FRM 01 I 16 FinTech Group The group run by Frank Niehage (below) does bank business with a single click

Financial hub Frankfurt On the Old Continent, Frank- furt is the no. 1 financial hub. A total of 196 banks are located here – as is the Deutsche Bundesbank. Moreover, with the European Central Bank domiciled here, Frankfurt is the capital of the euro. Over 62,000 people work in Frank- furt’s financial hub. Deutsche Börse is based in Eschborn. frankfurt-main-finance.com // Innovations

Vaamo The start-up of co-founder Thomas Bloch (above) has entered the market aggressively

18 19 FRM 01 I 16 banks’ weaknesses all too well and tried to focus their attack on exactly those areas. Together with Andreas Hackethal, Professor at Frankfurt Uni’s House of Finance, they developed a robo-advisor which enables Vaamo clients to invest far more favourably and easily than when consulting a conventional bank advisor. The robot advisor first asks the client a few questions and on the basis of the responses then searches for financial products that fit their plans and risk profile. The rule tends to be passive index funds or ETFs for short. Clients thus save twice, so the idea: There are no fees for the bank advisor or for the fund manager. In both segments, the robot advisors are already feared.

Financial hub FrankfurtRhineMain has the advantage that the key accounts of many FinTechs are based here. Unlike Vaamo, most start-ups don’t seek to challenge banks and insurance companies, but want to support them with technical innovations that make financial service providers’ processes simpler, for example. Web ID Solutions is a case in point. The start-up has devised a way with which clients wishing to open an account on the Internet no longer have to go to a post office to show ID. They can now do it via a PC video conference; a staff member at

Clients don’t need to pay for bank advisors or fund mana gers along the way// // Innovations

Web ID checks the ID via a Webcam. Job done. Many Frankfurt banks such as Deutsche Bank, ING Diba and Commerzbank have already introduced the method. Founded in Berlin, the company is therefore relocating to Frankfurt. “We plan to boost sales by a factor of six and our clients are here,” comments MD Thomas Fürst.

Darmstadt’s Authada works in a similar segment, as does Cybits AG from Wies- baden. They’ve developed technologies that enable banks to ensure without oner- ous correspondence that a client who opens an account is indeed the person s/he claims to be. Frankfurt banks would happily have a lot more such FinTechs close at hand. The State of Hessen has therefore launched a programme destined to culminate in a FinTech hub, a centre that is home to young companies, offering not only cheap office premises but support from bankers, lawyers and watchdogs. As good as all the major banks have weighed in. When several companies presented their concepts for such a centre in February 2016 at Frankfurt’s Goethe University, the state’s Economics Minister Tarek Al-Wazir made it clear how important he thinks the topic is: “FinTechs are the key to the future in the financial industry,” he said, continuing that “we’re witnessing a revolution.”

Just how much respect the financial industry has given the rapid rise in FinTechs can be seen from a new study published by the consultants at PwC. According to it, some 83 percent of financial service providers fear they will lose business share to FinTechs. The banks polled were even more worried, as 95 percent of them saw parts of their business under threat. Should the swift pace of development in financial technologies persist, the established banks believe a good 23 percent of their business is at risk. The FinTechs themselves expect they will bag one third of the business handled by conventional service providers.

For this reason, almost all the major Frankfurt banks have jumped on the band- wagon. Commerzbank operates its own Main Incubator close to Westbahnhof, where it supports young start-ups who have good ideas – both with seed capital and with cheap office space, expert support and access to clients. In March 2016,

20 21 FRM 01 I 16 FinTech hub The new Deutsche Börse centre offers start-ups premises and assistance. Above: Director Eric Leupold // Innovations

DZ Bank announced it was opening a FinTech Lab in Frankfurt, where bankers and developers would together with start-ups devise ideas for the Volks- and Raiffeisenbanken. And the CEO of Deutsche Bank, John Cryan, personally opened the company’s third innovation centre in early April 2016; following Berlin and London, the bank is now looking for fresh ideas from young companies in Silicon Valley - and supports them at an early stage in order to benefit from them.

Stronger local roots on the FinTech front is something Deutsche Börse is proud of. In Frankfurt’s Nordend it has beefed up two floors in a former factory building. The first start-ups are already moving into the airy loft-like office spaces with a grand view of Frankfurt’s banking high-rises. It can house up to 100 people in total and when CEO Carsten Kengeter presented the centre to Hessen Economics The FinTech world is Minister Tarek Al-Wazir in February 2016 he emphasised that the start-ups that bubbling over with use the offices and infrastructure here need not necessarily focus on exchange business. Although he did feel some would gladly use the links to the exchange, new ideas about for example by relying on the exchange’s market data. how new technolo gies can grab Last year, Deutsche Börse also handled the largest German FinTech deal. It acquired Frankfurt’s 360T for no less than 725 million euro. Even if 360T was found- business from con ed a few years ago now, it is a prime example of how a good FinTech idea can turn ventional banks into a flourishing business. In 2000, former Dresdner Bank employee Carlo Kölzer teamed up with three friends with his idea for a forex trading platform – sitting in // a room above a Greek restaurant at a PC placed on top of a crate of beer. Today, all the blue chips listed in the DAX transact their forex dealings using 360T and it is one of the world’s leading service providers, with a transaction volume of 90 bil- lion euros a day. Not that Kölzer is prepared to sit on his laurels. He’s already founded a new FinTech: CRX Markets AG helps companies finance their supply chain. Following Lufthansa, energy corporation Vattenfall has now also gone on the record as being a client. The FinTech scene is bubbling over with ideas on how using new technologies you can grab business from conventional banks. \\

22 23 FRM 01 I 16

// Discoveries “Transit” – arriving and departing Guided tours, readings, exhibitions: In 32 places artists and visitors will address transits in FrankfurtRhineMain now and in the past

The small vintage bus looks as if it is from another era; an extra-long carpet leads from its door to the >tarmac. Where is it from? Where is it going? Across the region, until late November 2016 anyone interested will be able to find

out. The bus was designed by the “Mobile Albania” group of ar- KulturRegion (2) tists and will be calling in at 25 places in FrankfurtRhineMain – including Offenbach, Alzenau, Eltville am Rhein, and Wiesba- den. It will stop in each case for a few hours and take “passengers” on an acoustic journey to the transit zone, the world between work and leisure time, arriving and departing. The organisers are Kulturfonds and KulturRegion and invite anyone who wants to board the “Transit” The transit bus is part of the series of events entitled “Transit bus and make new discoveries moves Rhine-Main”, which is being staged jointly by the two cultural organisations KulturRegion and Kulturfonds. In times of globalisation and in view of the current flows of refugees, the large number of people arriving and leaving represent a particular challenge for the region, “but this is not a new phenomenon”, the organisers say. Be it as a Roman province or in times of terri- torial upheavals: The region has always been defined by being a place of work or refuge, a border for immigrants and emigrants, migrant workers, businesspeople, travellers, pilgrims, soldiers, and those who have fled. The organisers aim to investigate these

stories. Alexander Paul Englert

In 32 places “Transit” will address migration in the past and to- subject, such as the “Limes” as a boundary or the traces of the day. Lectures, readings, exhibitions, art projects, symposiums, Huguenots and Waldensians. From different starting points, by tours and concerts all encourage the general public to discover bus or on foot, on Sunday 24 July 2016 in Offenbach, Hanau, the traces of “Transit” for themselves. Curators and artists have Walldorf and Friedrichsdorf, those interested in the subject can developed scenic readings and performances for specific places investigate the cultural heritage associated with the influx of the and will be interpreting special things in history relating to the Protestant refugees. kulturfonds-frm.de \\

24 25 FRM 01 I 16 RhineMain Regional Park When the days start growing longer, the RhineMain Regional Park lures people to the most attractive spots in A Festival along a the region’s countryside: Be it on foot or by bicycle – all summer long there are events being held outdoors, for 190-kilometre route example on 26 May 2016 the “Aktionstag Niddaradweg!” along the “Regionalpark-Niddaroute” cycle path between the Hoherodskopf summit and Bad Vilbel. The “Wein erlebniswegfest Oberer Rheingau” wine festival on 11-12 June 2016 on the Regional Park route between Hochheim und Flörsheim is also an attractive destination. On 26 June 2016 your guide Ingrid Schmidt invites you to a relaxed walk through the vineyards in “Flörsheim Switzerland”, where she will tell you all there is to know about the historical mills on the Wickerbach brook and the Rhine- Main Regional Park pilot project. The “Rundroutenfest” on 4 September 2016 is the highlight of the Regional Park summer: Along a 190-kilometre route there will be more than 70 events: There will be places of interest to view and explore, cafés in which to take a break, and farms that open their doors, enabling guests to experience

Regionalpark RheinMain Regionalpark agriculture at first hand.regionalpark-rheinmain.de \\

For the Future of the Region.

Listening and exchanging ideas: This is the foundation of success. We offer ﬁ nancing to people who stimulate development and chart the course, keeping the region attractive and sustainable.

// Lifestyle

Wiesbaden

ANYTHING BUT RUN OF THE MILL

In FrankfurtRhineMain, business and lifestyle combine in a unique fusion. There’s plenty to see on these promenades

BY JULIA SÖHNGEN (TEXT) AND TIM WEGNER (PHOTOS)

26 27 FRM 01 I 16 Wiesbaden I Wilhelmstrasse

Wilhelmstrasse, a shopping street, and yet so much more: It is a magnificent boulevard, The pedestrian a promenade par excellence. Lined on one side with stately buildings housing expensive zone in Wiesbaden boutiques, classic antique shops and the latest interior trends, and on the other with offers “shopping at its best”. There’s direct access to a green expanse: The “Warmer Damm”, a landscaped park in the English a great festival here style which leads to the spa and villa area in the Hessen state capital, is located on its each June eastern perimeter. Today Wiesbaden’s “Rue” is one of the city’s lifelines and entices consumption – of an intellectual nature as well, as from here it is only a few steps to the Hessen State Theatre and the Kurhaus spa building. Villa Clementine, the city’s literary centre, is on the corner of Frankfurter Strasse, a few buildings further on the contem- porary art space Nassauischer Kunstverein, and a little further again, south of the inter- section with Rheinstrasse, Museum Wiesbaden and soon the new Rhein-Main-Hallen as well. But let’s get back to where we started, because Wilhelmstrasse is also a good place for celebrating: Since 1977, traditionally on the second weekend in June, Germany’s biggest street festival “Theatrium” is held here. Originally a celebration of the reopening of the Hessen State Theatre, the “Wilhelmstraßenfest” is now a major event in the Wiesbaden calendar. \\ // Lifestyle

Frankfurt

Frankfurt I Goethestrasse

Less than 500 metres long, Goethestrasse is one of Frankfurt’s shorter streets. Yet it is a meeting point for the entire world of fashion and luxury, where international top designers are lined up next to exclusive stores, and the traditional boutiques of long-standing families present their current collec- tions. Attracting more than 1,005 passers-by each hour, Frankfurt’s small but high-end street placed fifth last year in the list of Germany’s most frequented luxury shopping venues, behind Düsseldorf’s Königsallee, Hamburg’s Neuer Wall, Stuttgart’s Stiftstrasse, and Munich’s Maximilianstrasse. Although the range of goods on sale is virtually identical to that along the other luxury retail strips, there is one big difference: Thanks to the relative proximity between the up-market stores and the limited space available, most of their owners and managers know one another. As such, despite all the exclusivity, shoppers can enjoy a stroll in a family atmosphere, being interrupted along the way with this or that pleasant conversation. And talking of limited space: Goethestrasse is a one-way street, and notoriously difficult when it comes to parking spaces. Not ideal conditions for beginning a relaxed shopping experience. In the direct vicinity though, on Goetheplatz, there is a well-designed underground car park, with spaces wide enough for SUVs. \\

28 29 FRM 01 I 16 Goethestrasse in Frankfurt is one of Germany’s most frequented luxury shopping streets. Over a distance of less than 500 meters you can find the Who‘s Who of the international design elite 3 // Lifestyle

Mainz

Mainz I Augustinerstrasse

In the state capital of Rhineland-Palatinate, where Roman temples, churches, mon- uments, and museums testify to its 2000-year old past, you breathe in history at every turn, as it were. And even a shopping spree on popular Augustinerstasse in the south of downtown Mainz becomes a trip back in time. The monument zone is within the Roman town walls and up until the 17th century was not only the main commercial street, but also the resplendent boulevard of the archbishops and elec- toral princes. It is still popular with pedestrians today, which is easily understand- able: Alongside lovingly run shops there are cosy cafés, and traditional wine bars and restaurants catering to every taste. Amidst this joie de vivre full of worldly delights, the Baroque-looking St. Augustine’s Church towers up above the other buildings. And it is not only striking from the outside, as on the inside magnificent ceiling frescos and Rococo decorations bear witness to the life of St. Augustine and the mendicant order that has resided here since the 13th century. What is more, St Augustine’s Church is one of the few in Mainz to survive the Second World War almost unscathed. A stroll along the side alleys such as Kirschgarten, Schönborn- Not only the range of goods on sale on Augustinerstrasse in Mainz is strasse and Grebenstrasse is definitely to be recommended, as the range of goods on extraordinary; the historical ambi- sale there is anything but run of the mill. \\ ance is second to none

30 31 FRM 01 I 16

// Lifestyle

32 33 FRM 01 I 16 Bad Homburg Bad Homburg I Louisenstrasse

“Champagne air and tradition” is the slogan with which the spa town at the foot of the Taunus hills has been advertising itself for 30 years now. It is a cult phrase, which quite simply hits the nail on the head. To be precise, it has been linked to Bad Homburg since the year 1887. Dr. Wilhelm Deetz, one of the founders of the spa, was using the expression even back then. It goes back, incidentally, to English visitors to the spa town who found the cool wind blowing through the spa park from the Taunus hills to be so invigorating and refreshing that they coined the term “air of champagne”. Bad Homburg, a place for taking a deep breath and enjoying things. To that end Louisenstrasse is ideal: The attractive, pedestrian shopping street boasts as many fashionable shops as traditional stores, as befits an urban lifestyle. Alongside branches of renowned chains, here and in the picturesque side streets there are still numerous small, in some cases owner-run stores which, thanks to their charming wares, hold their ground against the global players and make for the charm of the attractive shopping town Bad Homburg. And then the flair of the place! You can also relax and enjoy it in one of the numerous exquisite cafés and bistros. Be it over a glass of champagne or a cup of coffee, is up to you. To life! \\

The spa town in the Taunus is renowned for its proverbial “champagne air” – an ideal place to spoil yourself or simply pause for breath // Interview Doug Saunders The author of “Arrival City” is now in Frankfurt fairly regu- larly. He is advising Deutsches Architekturmuseum, which is anchoring the German con- tribution to the International Architecture Biennale 2016 in Venice

WELCOME TO THE ARRIVAL CITY

34 35 FRM 01 I 16 British-Canadian author Doug Saunders has visited growing metropolises all over the world, where he studied how “arrival” functions. His book “Arrival City” is now considered a standard reference work on the future of cities. FRM caught up with him in Frankfurt

INTERVIEW BY HELEN SIBUM Jonas Ratermann These places often have a poor reputation. If I understand your theory correctly, you are saying that arrival cities won’t change Mr. Saunders, is Frankfurt an “arrival city”? and don’t have to. But the people who go through them do. Frankfurt contains arrival cities and always has. Yes, but you need to make sure they do go through them. There >The arrival city is the district within the city that comprises the are traps that can cause second and third generations to fall out. networks of newcomers who support each other and build their You have to make sure that the resources are there for people. own internal economy. The arrival city is linked to the larger city, This doesn’t mean having a huge welfare system; it means look- but it is also a place unto itself. Frankfurt and the RhineMain ing for the barriers and eliminating them in advance. region in general are places that have long known the processes of arrival. Historically, a lot of the people who settled here were You are saying that Frankfurt has good preconditions for inte- refugees, even if they weren’t called that. The people who built grating newcomers – what are they? the classic economy of this region, people of every European Well, it has some of them. What do people seek when they settle background and identity, were very often fleeing conflict or reli- somewhere? They need to be able to get housing, on a sustainable gious persecution. To look at Frankfurt with its history of refu- basis and usually at a lower cost than the average. They need to gees and migrants who became part of the economic system, of get connected to the education system. They need to be able to the fabric of the city – I think that’s important. find work, to form small businesses and have customers come to them. And they need to have some pathway to citizenship. A lot You say that Frankfurt’s Gallus district for example is a typical of those factors are present here. “arrival quarter”. What makes it similar to the places you visited all around the world, to the parts of Mumbai, Nairobi or Rio de Housing in Frankfurt is expensive, though. Janeiro that you classify as “arrival cities”? Yes, but still people can find places to live. There are institutions Gallus has been a place where newcomers settle for decades. A lot to help them get started – Frankfurt has a surprisingly robust of the more successful institutions that bring people together can range of immigrant assistance institutions. Also, it’s not too dif- be found there. Gallus was not built to be a place for newcomers ficult to find your way into the school system, though I would say – arrival cities rarely are. But it tends to be the places that have there are real problems with the education system in its ability to the lowest living costs which attract people. Beside Gallus, make newcomers stay in it. Employment and entrepreneurial there’s a whole patchwork of districts or smaller subareas that options are complicated as well. There are some entry points, but have become migrant settlement areas in Frankfurt. starting small businesses is not as easy as it could be. // Interview

Making Heimat – Germany, Arrival Country Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) in Frankfurt/Main is curat- ing the German entry to the 15th I don’t cry International Architecture Biennale in Venice. The exhibition at weddings, “Making Heimat. Germany, Arrival Country” addresses the question how refugees can become immi- but I find grants. With their design for the German Pavilion, the exhibition citizenship makers explicitly reference “Arrival City” by Doug Saunders. “The book was a real inspiration ceremonies for us,” says Peter Cachola Schmal, Director of DAM. extremely makingheimat.de moving //

Still, we see a high percentage of migrants among entrepreneurs. Migrants in Frankfurt and elsewhere in Germany have done what migrants do, in defiance of the things that make it difficult. People who come from poorer places usually have a strong determination to make a start. They are not coming here because they want to do nothing. It’s a big investment, a big risk, and you don’t take that risk unless you have a pretty good sense that there are some options available. The statistics show that there is a high rate of immigrant success in Frankfurt. Even in Offenbach, which – in comparison – is a poor place, you don’t get that feeling of despair. What you mainly see there is a lot of activity, a lot of failure. I’ve spent enough time in the working-class public hous- business going on, a lot of buying and selling, a lot of families ing projects of the 1950s and 1960s, in the places surrounding investing in their property to improve things. Paris, Amsterdam or Glasgow, to understand that.

Offenbach is the “case study” that Deutsches Architektur Mu- How well is Offenbach doing, in terms of housing and generally? seum (DAM) picked for its exhibition “Making Heimat” in the It’s a mixture. There is a migrant settlement around the central German Pavilion at the Architecture Biennale 2016 in Venice. market which is very successful, partly because the housing is Your book gave them the idea. Had you seen the “arrival city” still reasonably affordable there. You can make a start, you can as an architecture-related topic before? settle, start a small business. But I worry about the second and I really welcomed this opportunity to cast “Arrival City” in a third generations in the education system. The big problem is light of architecture, planning and design. I did not start out be- children of immigrants leaving the school system and not really lieving that the shape of places considerably determined pro- having anything to do. They get vulnerable. cesses of settlement – I thought it was all social and economic. But spending time in those places I realized: Yes, it makes a big Education system and citizenship are factors that cities can’t difference. If you change the type of building, the type of hous- do much about. What else can they do to improve newcomers’ ing, the layout of streets – that can have an enormous impact on opportunities? the life experiences of the communities who settle in new coun- Making sure that there is housing at the right price and that there tries. On the other hand, there are forms of housing that create is a pathway to ownership of that housing. Making sure that

36 37 FRM 01 I 16 people are able to cluster by their places of origin and that this is not seen as a threat but as an opportunity. Most importantly, taking places like Offenbach as an asset that needs to be promoted rather than as a liability to warn people away from. So put up signs, tell people to go there so that the businesses do well and are linked to the economy of the greater region. Look at how so many other cities have been able to make districts like Offenbach the place where everybody wants to go for lunch. And by the way, I would say that citizenship is not a national thing, it can be very much a municipal one.

In what respect? Look at those citizenship ceremonies. I’ve attended a few of them. I don’t cry at weddings, but I find citizenship ceremonies extremely moving. In this country, they are organized by cities – I think the effect of that can be quite profound and last for several generations. Inclusion is something that people are seeking and that they are struggling for. To have the cities reach out and do it can become very important. ‘Making Heimat’ is exactly what you want people to do: to settle in and to sink down roots. \\

Doug Saunders The journalist has received the Canadian National Newspaper Award several times for his stories and columns. His first book “Arrival City” (2011) was highly praised as an important stimulus for urbanisation and the future of coexistence. While researching the book Saunders travelled to major cities worldwide and pri-

Jonas Ratermann (2) marily observed life on their out- skirts. “Arrival Cities” are for him those “fascinating, bustling, un- attractive, improvised, difficult places, populated by new people with big plans” found in almost every major city. And they, according to Saunders, deserve more attention. // Scene

Frankfurt Wiesbaden Offenbach Places Aschaffenburg to go

The day fades – and the question arises: What’s the best way to start the night? In a bar, a club or somewhere a little different? 30 special locations in FrankfurtRhineMain

Clubs

The clubs in the FrankfurtRhine- Main area offer something to suit every musical taste. You just need to find them

38 39 FRM 01 I 16 10 Axel Jung

Frankfurt scene, and on the last Sunday of Offenbach each month Gabriel Groh and the 1 Batschkapp So what is the entertainer Bäppi La Belle tradi- 8 Robert Johnson This Offenbach “Kapp”? A cultural center, rock club tionally feature as guests here with club is one of Germany’s best spots and concert hall. Named “Club of their revue “Pik Sonntag”. A real for electronic dance music. You

Ernst Stratmann/www.photx.de Ernst the Year” in 2012. A Frankfurt insti- experience. can party inside or step out onto tution which, despite its move to › Elbestr. 31, 60329 Frankfurt the balcony to see the River Main Seckbach three years ago, has re- flowing by. To the left it flows to mained true to itself. Once Kapp, 5 Orange Peel Perhaps one of Frankfurt, whilst to the right the always Kapp. This year it celebrates the coolest insider tips. Behind an Offenbach harbour sleeps. But its 40th anniversary. Respect! elegant, late-19th-century façade in there’s plenty of space for music in › batschkapp.de the station district hides a club that between them. offers something to suit (virtually) › robert-johnson.de 2 Yachtklub Club-founding legend any musical taste: Here you will Hans Romanov is back with his find classic jazz, rockabilly, funk, Aschaffenburg boathouse. Alongside parties, Russian disco, rock ‘n’ roll and even there is live music, art, culture, cool world music. A warm welcome 9 Colos-Saal A truly distin- drinks and little treats to nibble on. awaits. guished club in the heart of the pe- Plans for the summer include the › orange-peel.de destrian zone of this Franconian “Elbe river lido”, a throwback to the city: in 2013 it was named “Club lidos that used to line the Main. 6 Le Panther Frankfurt’s party of the Year” as part of the Frankfurt Great prospects. villa is changing: After 20 years, the Music Fair Live Entertainment › yachtklub.org Odeon is becoming “Le Panther”. Award LEA, whilst in 2015 it won Alongside parties, art events are the Culture Prize for the City of 3 Gibson Just where you wouldn’t also planned, and on Sundays Aschaffenburg. Understatement expect it, in the premises of the for- there is even a brunch. Truly a place simply doesn’t apply here. Nomen mer Zeilkino cinema, Kingka founder to celebrate life. est omen. Madjid Djamegari joined forces with › Seilerstr. 34, 60313 Frankfurt › colos-saal.de Xavier Naidoo and the band “Söhne Mannheims” in 2012 to set up a mod- 7 AdLib Three floors and a great Wiesbaden ern live club. An enormous dance roof terrace – this is what you’ll find floor beneath the city and a firm fa- at the location above the Hanauer 10 Chopan For some, Chopan is a vorite in the nightlife of Frankfurt. Landstrasse. Party series are held tea lounge, bar and restaurant – as › gibson-club.de here bearing names like “Black per its official designation – whilst Sushi”, “We love 90s” and “Mission for others it is the only “scene” 4 Pik Dame This old neighborhood to Heaven”. It all goes down well with club in Wiesbaden. The pearl of the bar hosts guest sets by big-name a chic, grown-up clientele, who West End. Go check it out. You DJs and perhaps the hottest, most dance “ad lib” – hence the club’s won’t regret it! intimate parties on the Frankfurt name. › Bleichstr. 34, 65183 Wiesbaden 4 › adlib-ffm.de // Scene 7

Frankfurt Wiesbaden Darmstadt

Bars

The bars of the FrankfurtRhineMain area are enjoying something of a revival. “Speakeasy”, Coformat i.e. definitively secret, they are not.

2 Hidden Fortress

40 41 FRM 01 I 16 10

Frankfurt 3 Long Island Summerlounge 6 The Parlour No lighting, no sign 8 Tante Simone An unpreten- Frankfurt by the sea – this perpetu- – you need to look around a little bit tious meeting point for Wiesbaden 1 Logenhaus Here guests are al dream comes one step closer in to find this bar, which is located on and anyone wanting to see out the transported in genuine style to a this coveted rooftop location on top the ground floor of a residential and day with a good drink – that was sophisticated Bohemian society, of the Börse multi-storey car park. commercial building. And: it ac- the idea of the two bar-owners of the salon culture of the 1920s and A sun deck with pool and incompa- commodates only as many guests French origin, who named their 1930s. Alongside classic cocktails rable view, hot beats and cold as there are seats, hence the door- little gem after an aunt. and drinks, the menu includes over drinks. The ideal location in which bell. But you certainly won’t want to › Seerobenstr. 1, 65195 Wiesbaden 80 varieties of gin, and in the sum- to spend wonderful summer days leave. And it’s no wonder with the mer the “Garden Salon” opens up in and nights (Cover illustration). drinks. Darmstadt the enchantingly secluded rear › longislandsummerlounge.de › theparlour.de courtyard. 9 Upéro This penthouse bar offers › logenhaus-bar.com 4 The Kinly Bar A bar deep in the Wiesbaden not only cocktails but also a magical cellar of the former “Kiez Praline” view over Darmstadt and some of 2 Seven Swans & The Tiny Cup along Elbestrasse in the station dis- 7 manoamano With the its treasures: the Wedding Tower, The narrowest building in Frankfurt trict. No mobile phone reception or manoamano, Hessen’s capital has the Russian Chapel, the Stadtkirche houses the 17 square metres of the daylight, but plenty of unique cock- acquired its own outstanding cock- and Ludwigskirche churches, the smallest bar in Germany, which of- tails and drinks. And when you start tail bar. What’s more, it offers its theatre and the castle. A feeling of fers space for no more than 16 to get peckish, there are delicious own, painstakingly produced dry gin wellbeing. guests. Elegant, feel-good atmos- hot dogs – they alone are worth the by the name of “Amato”. Alongside › upero.de phere, exquisite drinks. Immediate- climb. And that’s a promise. the classic ingredients like junipers, ly recognized by bar magazine › kinlybar.com citrus and coriander, it plays with 10 Wellnitz Living tradition: Book- “Mixology” as the “best new bar of accents of fresh cucumber, tomato shelves and the name testify to its the year 2016”. Wow. 5 Rote Bar A classic of the Frank- and apricot. former life as a bookstore. What’s › sevenswans.de furt bar scene. Slightly obscure, with › manoamano-bar.de more, it is here that the heritage of subdued lighting, a wonderful ambi- the “Hillstreet Club”, another Darm- ance without superfluous words, stadt institution that was closed in and drinks that, without exaggera- 2015, is kept alive. Guaranteed qual- tion, can be called magnificent. ity where drinks are concerned. › rotebar.com › wellnitz.bar // Scene

Art Spaces

The off-scene in FrankfurtRhineMain is blossoming. The creative locations have no reason to hide.

Frankfurt and fostering of taste”, as it states in its charter. A laboratory of cui- Bad Homburg 1 Familie Montez Readings, par- sine in the station district. Frankfurt ties, theatre, tango evenings and, › clubmichel.de Wiesbaden Offenbach of course, exhibitions – in Mirek Darmstadt Macke’s art society there’s always 3 Freitagsküche The artist initia- something going on. This place be- tive has long since become profes- neath the old Honsell Bridge, in the sionalized: A creative artist still immediate vicinity of the ever more cooks on Friday evenings, but since chic Ostend district and the base the move to Mainzer Landstrasse of the dazzling new ECB, is a thor- there have also been lunch sittings oughly great place to meet people. and performances in the basement. › kvfm.de Incidentally, in the MMK the original idea of “the restaurant as a work 2 Club Michel A no-longer-secret of art” is being carried forward. supper club from whizz-kid Ata › freitagskueche.de Macias. A club with an access code that aims “to spread culinary cul- 4 Schwalbe 54 The Gallus dis- tural customs” and to promote the trict is not generally known for its “refinement, cultivation, instruction affinity to art. And it was precisely

42 43 FRM 01 I 16 › fantasy. and music art, of world the into insights exciting and opposing offered have rooms exhibition three in Dornholzhausen. Since then, mill pond trout former and factory cardboard old an In discovered: 5 Artlantis B › foropportunity the up-and-coming. An virtues”. bourgeois from off “cut aplace to be people, for and art for space create and norm daily the to disrupt is aim The 54: Schwalbe of idea to the rise gave that this galerie-artlantis.de schwalbe54.de ad Homburg In 1996 Artlantis was was Artlantis 1996 In › ideas. of workshop to acreative tion loca industrial an from transition symbol of Offenbach’sstructural Asolid Main. River the of banks the on Schloss Isenburger the of front in stands still wagon goods old the sculpture”, “social the of idea Beuys’ Joseph on Design and Art of U State Hessen the by ject 7 Afip 7 Waggon 6 O varying skills offagainst oneanother, widely their play utopias, design time, our of trends discuss They for Interdisciplinary Processes”. “Academy the for gather now people waggon.blogsport.de ffenbach In a former Schlecker outlet, outlet, Schlecker aformer In 6 Stemming from a pro-

Valentin Popa/popaphoto.de Kunstverein Familie Montez niversity niversity - › places. different in formats different 50 over with stadt Darm for hub art A flexible 2009. since existence in been has cations lo or properties unused or empty provisionally for concepts usage interim with creatives of network scene and its club culture. There urban the for center acultural No, 9 Galerie Kurzweil 9 Galerie 8 Earlstreet D › out. ruled not is Failure obligations. no with goes, Anything culture. create and earlstreet.org afip-hessen.de armstadt The interdisciplinary interdisciplinary The A dance club? club? Adance - - 10 Walkmühle W › place. meeting a offers station freight old the of site but now an industrial building on the “Blumen” and “Café Kesselhaus”, “603qm”, of closure the following were meagre pickings in Darmstadt › other. any like un asalon is result The here. ence - sci and culture of branches other to linked is art fine business, bition - exhi straightforward the Alongside disciplines. of variety awide from creatives for here developed spaces workshops2003 and exhibition galerie-kurzweil.de walkmuehle.net iesbaden In the spring of of spring the In 1 - // Scene

INTERNATIONAL Frankfurt DINING Where do representatives of the international community meet for business lunches in FrankfurtRhineMain? Four recommendations from people who should know

Japan Given the great selection I can recommend more than one restaurant. For business occasions I like Iwase or Fujiwara – very authentic. With friends I enjoy going to Muku or occasionally to Holbein’s. They serve fusion-style sushi there from Tuesday to Saturday. //

Jo n a s 3 Tim wegner R a te rm a nn

Shogo Akagawa has since 2007 (with a brief interruption) been chief correspondent of the Japa- nese business newspaper Nikkei in Berlin. He comes to Frankfurt every six weeks for the ECB meeting.

1 Iwase Vilbeler Str. 31, 60313 Frankfurt 2 Fujiwara Cranachstr. 1, 60596 Frankfurt › fujiwara-restaurant.de 3 Muku Dreieichstr 7, 60594 Frankfurt › muku-ramen.com 4 Holbein’s im Städel Holbeinstr. 1, 60596 Frankfurt › meyer-frankfurt.de/ restaurants/holbeins- restaurant-im-staedel

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n n a rm e at R s na Jo

Debjit Chaudhuri known as “Debu”, came to Frankfurt more than 15 years ago as the Germany manager of an Indian IT company. He now advises German and Indian com panies planning to launch operations in the other country and invests in Ger-

Tim Wegner man start-ups.

India India is an enormous country with enormous diversity in terms of cuisine. This is reflected in the Indian restaurants in Frankfurt – it would be impossible to recommend a single one. My personal favourites include two small bistros in the Bahnhofsviertel district, which normally do a good trade: Ruchi, where you really should

1 Ruchi try the tandoori chicken tikka, and Ganesha. Ludwigstr. 12, 60327 Frankfurt My favourite dish there is masala dosa, a sort of › ruchifrankfurt.de 2 Ganesha thin pancake stuffed with potatoes. I can also Niddastr. 104, 60329 Frankfurt recommend the vegetarian restaurant Saravana 3 Saravana Bhavan Bhavan: it specialises in southern Indian cuis Kaiserstr. 66, 60329 Frankfurt › saravanabhavan- frankfurt.de ine, which you don’t get very often here. With 4 Eatdoori my German clients I like going to Eatdoori – it’s Kaiserstr. 55, 60329 Frankfurt › eatdoori.com hip and cool. // // Scene 1 Peking Ente Niddastr. 101 – 103, 60329 Frankfurt 2 Neue Welt Am Hauptbahnhof 8, 60329 Frankfurt

r e n eg W m Ti

Haitao Xiu has lived in Germany since 1987. For exactly 20 years he has been editing the “Chinesische Handelszeitung” in Frankfurt, a business newspaper that has 2 emerged as the “voice of the

Tim Wegner Chinese in Germany”.

China I prefer going to Peking Ente or Neue Welt, both near Frankfurt main station. In the first restaurant I can highly recommend the Peking duck, not to mention the dishes served Szechuan-style, very hot, or Shanghai-style, sweet. Neue Welt offers variety in the form of very hot Hunan-style and sweet Zhejiang- style dishes. // 46 47 FRM 01 I 16 Iran Hafez has been one of my favourite res taurants for years now. I suggest it as a possibility whenever I have a business meal, and as a rule people readily agree. To my mind Hafez has the best Persian cuisine in and around Frankfurt. //

Tim Wegner 1

r le d u H el ha ic M

Nader Maleki was born in 1947 in Teheran and has lived in Germany since 1969. He now heads the Maleki Communications Group in Frankfurt and stages, among other things, the Frankfurt Global Business Week and the Euro Finance Week.

1 Hafez Baseler Str. 21, 60329 Frankfurt › restaurant-hafez.de // Perspective

TRAVELLING IN THE FUTURE

Frankfurt Airport has launched a multichannel strategy enabling passengers to swiftly find individualised information

BY ULRIKE CORNELIUSSEN AND JOACHIM HEPPNER

48 49 FRM 01 I 16 Look to the future: Terminal 3 is scheduled to open in 2021 and offer passengers the discerning service and quality standards they associate with a leading international airport

The young woman stepped into the store, presented a delivery code on her smartphone, took receipt of the articles she had pre-ordered, >paid and left. What was special: The Chinese woman had only just landed at Frankfurt Airport before going to the shop. Before departure she had already clicked the Frankfurt Airport homepage www.frankfurt-airport.com/shopping and reserved a selection of goods in order to collect them during the brief time she had between changing planes. And she is not alone. In December 2015 Fraport launched a coherent digitalisation drive. There is now support for passengers across all channels, destined to make their stay at Germany’s largest air travel hub as pleasant as possible.

“Multichannel” marks a paradigm shift in the way the stores and hospitality outlets at Frankfurt Airport do business, as Kai Schmidhuber, who heads the team of 30 experts, reports: “The majority of our passengers have a smartphone or Fraport (3) AG tablet PC with them.” Moreover, smartphones have long since turned into virtual department store portals in many countries, and shopping by app is very much an everyday occurrence. However, the relaunch of the Fraport app and the airport homepage – and thus the presentation of the services and retail outlets at the airport – is destined not just to fulfil a commercial purpose, but to provide com- prehensive networking of the countless services and travel-relevant data, in this way supporting all passengers’ questions with answers and advice that is tailored to their needs. “Passengers are becoming VIPs digitally, too, Very Important Passengers,” comments Schmidhuber.

Instead of an analogue channel, passengers can now choose between various channels. And can combine them at will: viewing potential goods online and then testing them offline. If time between planes is too short, Fraport gets the goods to the gate or in future even mails them to a home address. This has given rise to an online marketplace boasting some 40,000 different products at present, offered by global players or local stores. The response among the shops at the airport has been massive. By the end of 2016 Fraport will still be busy working through the waiting list, as it insists on quality and carefully assists each retailer personally as part of joining and going live on the various technical platforms. Online purchases are not just comfortable and swift; Fraport has also put in place a special rewards Virtual offerings: The first Interactive Airport programme that functions like a frequent-flyer system and offers clients the Desk is located in Terminal 1. It functions like a tablet PC and provides passengers with info opportunity to collect points – in real time. Schmidhuber and his team are seeing on gates, shops and other services treble-digit increases by the month in registrations for the programme. // Perspective

Passengers become VIPs, Very Important Passengers, digitally, too // Fraport (2) AG

In the not too distant future passengers who use the “Home-to-Gate” service provided by Fraport AG can be collected from home, rely on the baggage service, get their boarding cards, enjoy an exclusive security check, and during the trip to the airport use a tablet PC on which they can go surf-shopping. The shopping platform speaks English, Chinese and German; and Arabic is soon to come. Add itional languages will follow in keeping with the principle used for info desks in the terminals, where eight languages are spoken. Virtual reality: The Interactive Airport Desk and the FRA Airport app are part of the services in the “Great to have An outsized touchscreen called the Interactive Airport Desk is another element you here!” programme that Fraport of the digital service range: The desk functions like any tablet PC or smartphone is constantly advancing in order to consistently enhance the quality of time using touchscreen technology. Fingertip touch, scroll and slide, intuitive and self- spent at Germany’s most important explanatory – so passengers can navigate easily through a wealth of info and transportation hub – and ensure every thing is customer friendly services and, for example, scan their boarding card. The desk then not only tells them which gate and what boarding time, but also describes the quickest route to the gate along with real-time data on how long it will take to walk there. It can be loaded simply by QR code via the Fraport app onto your smartphone, putting the route at your fingertips at all times. Moreover, passengers get data on stores, restaurants, baby-changing facilities and lifts along the way; there’s in-depth information on each shop such as opening hours, types of payment accepted, and the brands on offer there. The first such desk is located in the A finger, with two more to follow this year.

“The Interactive Airport Desk is a continuation of our service strategy of tailor- ing services more strongly to passengers and their information needs. Our guests want customised information and expect innovative media that can be used intuitively. We are planning further digitalisation in the near future along the travel process chain, to make services and information available in individualised fashion,” says Dr. Stefan Schulte, CEO of Fraport AG. Expert reports suggest that by the year 2021 Frankfurt Airport will see a passenger volume of 68-73 million. The upper limit for current capacity in the terminals is 64 million, which will therefore clearly be overshot by 2021. “Society’s wish for mobility and thus the number of people choosing planes to travel, is growing” comments Schulte. “Only with Terminal 3 will we in the long term be able to offer our clients the quality and service standards they expect of a leading international airport.” \\

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Discover a place where global paths cross.

FrankfurtRheinMain GmbH | International Marketing of the Region

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